Under the Hill
by AngieT
Summary: Frodo comes to live with Bilbo.


Title: Under the Hill

Author:AngieT

Frodo finally moves into Bag End. Fluffy.

The last items had been unloaded from the cart, a last word spoken and a last hug given and Saradoc and Esmerelda were riding away leaving Bilbo and Frodo standing on the front door step of Bag End.

Bilbo waved with one hand and kept the other around Frodo's shoulders as though he almost expected the lad to bolt after the cart. But his new heir showed no signs of movement in that direction but stood and watched the cart out of sight.

Frodo stood alone at last in the room that was now his. On previous visits to Bag End he had been given one of the guest rooms but now he had a small room of his own facing out from the hill and with a round window which over looked out over the side of the garden. The furniture here was a little worn but of good quality. There was a new embroidered coverlet on the bed and new down pillows. Not much of the coverlet was visible at the moment as the bed was liberally scattered with bags, loose items of clothing and boxes. All Frodo's worldly possessions were in this one room – apart from a couple of items of furniture which he had inherited from his parents and which were now in the parlour awaiting distribution around the smial.

Frodo reached for his jacket and hung it on a peg behind the door. He did not really know where to start.

The first box he picked up contained his books. Well, that was easy enough. There was a nice low bookcase under the round window and onto this he neatly set his books, propping them in place with a little stone figure of a dragon that Bilbo had once given him. His book collection filled nearly three quarters of a shelf but he was sure it would grow. He patted the dragon on the head affectionately.

He set to with a will then and stowed his clothing in the wardrobe. A new set of nightshirts, under garments and shirts had already been set out on the shelves and he knew an appointment with the Baggin's tailor was scheduled for the morrow.

More difficult were his other things. Games and toys he stowed in a spare cupboard. His kite he hung over a convenient hook by the window where the breeze could make the tail lift and flutter. His catapult he reluctantly stowed back in the now empty box and stuffed under the bed.

"Now, none of your tricks young hobbit," had been Saradoc's final words to Frodo. "I don't want Bilbo having to send you back in disgrace."

His father's pocket watch he stowed on the bedside table along with the carved wooden box with its inlay pattern of leaves, which contained his mothers, few items of jewellery.

He was quite weary by the time he had finished methodically working his way through the bags and boxes to the last rucksack. Into this had been shoved all the items he had nearly forgotten at the last moment. He reached into pull out the last item and his fingers closed round something soft and yielding. Thinking this was another garment he hauled it out – to discover he held in his hand the limp and slightly threadbare brown and cream of Merry's stuffed toy pony.

Frodo sat down suddenly on the bed.

He turned the creature over in his hands. Pinned to one side was a note in Merry's atrocious lettering?

"Frodo so you don't forget me."

"Oh Merry," Frodo whispered. He had been holding tears at bay for some time now and this was the final straw. Clutching the toy animal to his suddenly aching chest Frodo felt treacherous tears spill over his eyes and onto his cheeks.

Bilbo could not see him crying! Bilbo would think he was ungrateful, that he did not want to come to Bag End. And Frodo did – very much. If only he had to had to leave his friends behind, and dear Esme and dearest Merry lad. Frodo flung himself full length onto the now cleared bed and began to sob. The coverlet felt new and crackly beneath his cheek, unfamiliar. His things around the room seemed out of place – as though they did not belong. They looked lost, displaced.

It was thus that Bilbo found him. Coming in to fetch the lad for tea.

"Oh Frodo, Frodo! What ever is it?"

Bilbo was on the bed in a second and pulling Frodo to him. "My poor dear boy, what has upset you so?"

But Frodo could not speak. He could only cling onto Bilbo and cry all the harder. Bilbo rocked him a little. "Please lad, tell me what it is. Is there something I can do? Are you tired or hungry? Or…" Bilbo paused. "Do you regret coming here?"

That spurred words from Frodo, or at least a chocked. "No no! I want to be here… it's just…"

Frodo pulled back a little, his face a mask of tears and distress that he had pained his Cousin Bilbo so.

Bilbo for the first time saw the toy squashed in Frodo's hands. "You're a bit old for stuffed animals aren't you?"

Frodo thrust the toy forwards to Bilbo could read the note. The old hobbit read and then he looked back at Frodo and there were tears in his eyes too. "Oh Frodo. Of course, you must miss him so. I know Merry meant so much to you." He hugged the boy close again. "I think the best thing we can do is arrange a visit as soon as possible. Maybe we could spend out birthdays at Brandy Hall this year. Would that suit?"

Frodo tried to smile and nod through his tears.

"Meanwhile," said Bilbo. "Let's get you cleaned up and into the kitchen for some tea and seed cake. Then we can have a little talk about what you would like to do. Maybe a few days getting used to things around here. But Frodo," Bilbo tilted up the boys face by his chin. "You must tell me how you feel. It things do not work out we can always make other arrangements. I want Bag End to be your home very much but if you are unhappy then you can always go back to Brandy Hall at any time."

"Don't want to!" Frodo hiccupped.

"Shush," Bilbo soothed. "Lets give it some time. It must all seem very strange to you."

Bilbo rocked his distressed cousin for a while. He had been so nervous himself; berating himself for thinking he could bring up a lad like Frodo, thinking himself selfish for wanting the company of this unique being. Frodo had so much potential, so much which set him apart from other hobbits, and Bilbo did love him so.

"Tell you what," Bilbo said at last. "Let's go and have some tea and then write a letter to Merry. We will ask him to come and stay for a few days. He can help you settle in," Bilbo tilted Frodo's chin up and smiled into the bright face with its intelligent eyes, "and you can give him his pony back."

Frodo smiled. "Thank you Uncle," he hugged the old hobbit close. "Thank you for everything."

Frodo was all lively chatter over tea, talking about everything he wanted to show Merry on his visit. The letter was written at Frodo's desk, which had been set up opposite to Bilbo's in the study, and once sealed, Frodo caught it up. "I'm going to run down the hill and see if Sam can come to the post office with me," he announced.

Bilbo stood at the kitchen sink and watched Frodo running down the hill. It was going to be all right after all.

end


End file.
